“A solid all-around performer, Gordon "Red" Berenson enjoyed 17 productive years in the NHL. He was a fine sportsman who could check or score equally well depending on the situation. Along the way he registered seven 20 goal seasons and played on one Stanley Cup championship team in Montreal.... Berenson was a gift scorered.... His speed and skill with the puck impressed the officials of the Belleville McFarlands as they prepared to compete in the World Championships, and Canada captured the gold medal thanks in part to Berenson's nine goals.... a true workhorse.... plenty of time with both specialty teams”

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Originally Posted by Our History - Montreal Canadiens Official Website

....a defensive specialist with Montreal.... Sticking with the Canadiens for 1963-64, his only complete campaign with the Habs, the 6-foot, 185-pound pivot picked up 16 points while still thriving in his defensive role.

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Originally Posted by The Windsor Star - 7/13/1978

"Red has had a magnificent career," said St. Louis general manager Emile Francis. "He typified what a player should be...I don't think you could find anyone more dedicated or determined."

Best seasons with the Blues

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Originally Posted by Sports Illustrated - 3/25/1968

Three months ago, when St. Louis was last in the West and Goalie Glenn Hall was the one player not giving fans the lowercase blues, Lynn Patrick, who had been doubling as coach and general manager, put the 34-year-old Bowman behind the bench. Bowman immediately made a trade for New York's Gordon (Red) Berenson and, lo, the team started winning. Since then St. Louis has been just about the hottest of the expansion teams, and the youngest coach in the NHL is already beginning to look like one of the best.

A big (6 feet, 185 pounds) center with long arms and legs to match, Berenson started off slowly in St. Louis, mainly because he had gotten out of shape sitting on the bench in New York. Then he caught fire, and now he has become the Stan Mikita of the new league, scoring the big goals and setting up his teammates. St. Louis fans are in love with No. 7, with reason: Berenson, along with Wayne Connelly of Minnesota's North Stars, is one of the West's first potential superstars.

"Just watch him," says Hall, the All-Star goaltender who played 10 years with Mikita and Bobby Hull in Chicago. "Red seems to combine the skills of both Stan and Bobby. There isn't anything he can't do. He's a great play-maker and his shot—well, the only trouble with his shot is that sometimes he shoots too hard."

Berenson always could skate, pass and shoot; in fact, he was considered one of the finest prospects in the Montreal chain until he made the apparent mistake of accepting a scholarship to the University of Michigan. "As far as the Canadiens were concerned, Red was going to waste four of the most critical years in his development," says Bowman. "They didn't want him traipsing off to play hockey in the States. When he came back—with just about every record in his league—he was tabbed as just another American who wouldn't stand up to the beating he would get in the pro game."

"I remember a plane trip I made with Emile last spring," says Bowman. "He said that someday, somewhere, Berenson was going to make somebody a helluva hockey player. He said he only wished it could be in New York." It has happened instead in St. Louis, to the surprise of neither Bowman, Francis nor Berenson himself—although few others in hockey expected any such miracle.

Without Berenson, says Bowman, the Blues would merely be playing out the season for experience. But without Bowman, say the experts, the team would have those blues you can't lose.

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Originally Posted by The Windsor Star - 3/20/1968

The Red Baron may eventually be on the winning side.

The latest hero to bear the famous nickname is Red Berenson of the St. Louis Blues. Unlike the World War I German pilot and the unseen nemesis of Snoopy is the kind of winner who may bring the rest of his side to victory.

When Berenson joined the Blues last Nov. 29, the Blues with a horrendous start in their first season of existence had a record of 4-13-2 and were in the last place 18 points behind the front-running Philadelphia Flyers in the Western Division of the National Hockey League.

The Red Baron immediately began his raids on the enemy, and the Blues began the long climb through the division's standings. With Berenson is uniform the Blues have a record of 20-15-13 and have climbed into a tie for third place with a chance to move into first in the last two weeks of the season.

Berenson has scored 20 goals, more than any other member of the Blues, in the 47 games and during on stretch of the season and had 13 goals in 15 games.

Hockey fans can't see Berenson's red crewcut because he wears a helmet on the ice, but the Red Baron is a colorful player who brings the fans to their feet. He is undoubtedly the fastest skater among the Blues and has the ability to lead the rest of the team on the attack.

Berenson also has what you might call a victory complex. "Winning is more fun than anything," he said. "I'm as good a sportsman as any guy in the league, but there's nothing like winning; it's so different from losing."

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Originally Posted by The Pittsburgh Press - 3/19/1968

St. Louis owns the best second-half record (12-8-12) of any expansion team, Center Red Berenson hasn't stopped scoring since the Blues acquired him last December from New York where he never strayed far from the bench.

6 goal game

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Originally Posted by Edmonton Journal - 11/8/1968

A fringe player before the NHL added six new teams last season, Berenson scored six goals Thursday night to tie a modern league record.

Berenson, a 28-year-old centre from Regina, scored four of the goals in the second period to tie another record for most goals in one period.

It was a night that Berenson, a spare forward during his years with Montreal and New York, will never forget.

Berenson, used infrequently by the Rangers early last season, went to the Blues in a four-player trade Nov. 29. St...Given a chance to perform on a regular line, Berenson immediately became a success in St. Louis. He scored 22 goals in 55 regular-season games and added five more in 18 playoff games - a far better record than he had ever compiled in the old, six-team circuit.

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Originally Posted by The Pittsburgh Press - 11/18/1970

Putting Berenson on a checking line is a risk because of his scoring ability, but geez, it worked. The Blues beat Detroit 2-1, Thursday.

Leading vote-getter in the West for 1969 all-star game

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Originally Posted by Tri City Herald - 1/8/1969

Hull, Howe, and Orr topped voting in the East, drawing up the maximum 90 points apiece, while St. Louis center Red Berenson headed the West team with a total of 86 points.

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Originally Posted by The Windsor Star - 1/8/1971

The noticeable absence from the West team is the Blues' Red Berenson, considered the first big star developed when the new division was created in 1967. The Red Baron is tied for 19th place in scoring, with 15 goals and 33 assists, but he was unable to nudge Mikita or Martin for one of the center spots.

Playoffs with the Blues

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Originally Posted by The Phoenix - 4/2/1969

Last year the defence-conscious Blues gave Montreal Canadiens a real run for their money. The veteran goaltending combination of Jacques Plate and Glenn Hall has added a bit of scoring punch, mainly on the coming-of-age of Red Berenson.

A Regina product and long-time Montreal chattel, Berenson was always considered a great practice player, but he was never the same on a game day. Finally, Canadiens peddled their 'extra' centremen off to New York Rangers, but Berenson still didn't belong.

A graduate of Michigan university, Berenson had a good job waiting for him in the Detroit area, and let it be known that he would like to be traded to Detroit. But in the end St. Louis grabbed him, the owners convinced him that St. Louis was the ONLY place to play and now Berenson plays on Sundays the way he used to practice on a Friday.

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Originally Posted by The Windsor Star - 4/19/1969

Los Angeles Kings are worried about a lack of muscle and Red Berenson.

Regan also hinted that coach Red Kelly may put someone on Red Berenson fulltime to keep him off the scoresheet. Berenson was a one-man wrecking crew in the opening game, scoring three consecutive goals in the second period to tie a playoff record as the Kings were shutout 4-0.

"You just can't let a player like Berenson roam around loose," said Regan. "He's just too dangerous."

Rookie goaltender Gerry Desjardins, who will probably start tonight, knows what it's like to face Berenson. "All the time during the faceoff, he just kept staring at me as if he were saying: 'You're going to get it'", Desjardins said.

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Originally Posted by Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - 5/1/1969

The Canadiens' Ralph Backstrom shadowed Gordon (The Red Baron) Berenson so closely that the Blues' top scorer during the regular season (35 goals and 47 assists) hasn't had a real good shot on the net in two games.

Berenson has been hampered somewhat with a charley horse which he picked up early in Sunday's game.

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Originally Posted by St. Petersburg Times - 4/17/1970

The St. Louis Blues, powered by Red Berenson and Ab McDonald, shot into the semifinals of the Stanley Cup Playoffs with a 4-2 victory over the Minnesota North Stars Thursday night.

...while Berenson added a goal and two assists as the Blues reached the West Division semifinals against Pittsburgh.

Adversity early in his career

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Originally Posted by Edmonton Journal (Jim Coleman) - 8/23/1972

Back in 1962, there was a very loud rap against college-trained hockey players. It is true that Bill Hay, who was playing for the world-champion Chicago Blackhawks was (Shh! Whisper it, please) a graduate of Colorado College. However, Hay had the decency to serve a year's apprenticeship in a minor professional league before he entered the NHL. Hay played a full season for Calgary in the Western Hockey League.

But, Red Berenson made the jump directly from the University of Michigan campus to the bench of the Montreal Canadiens. Toe Blake, the Montreal coach, was a gentleman of the Old School who, at that time, suspected that a U.S. college education and a hockey career were incompatible. Furthermore, Berenson made the terrible error of arriving at camp with one of those protective helmets which are obligatory equipment in US college hockey. In professional circles, there was a suspicion that hockey players who wore helmets were excessively timid.

It was an unfortunate combination of circumstances. Red was bounced in and out of the NHL for six seasons without really "making it." Then, still wearing his offending helmet, he emerged as a star with the St. Louis Blues in the chilly spring of 1968.

Many of Berenson's problems have resulted from the fact that he was equipped with a distressing overabundance of intelligence. He was too damn' smart in school. He matriculated from high school when he was 16.

Berenson is one of The Senior Statesmen at the Team Canada training camp in Toronto. Not only is he one of the elders, at the age of 32, but he is the president of the NHL Players' Association. Furthermore, he is one of the few active members of the Canadian squad who has actual experience in international hockey.

"I was looking forward to getting a break, finally." Berenson said wryly yesterday. "I got one after five games - I stopped Bobby Rousseau's slapshot with my toe and I was out of action until Christmas. I'd never have broken a bone in my life, up to that point. Then, about three games about I got back in the lineup. I got an elbow in the face from Eric Nesterenko and I went out with a broken cheekbone."

St. Louis provided the catalyst to which changed Berenson's life from boredom to stardom. The coach at St. Louis was Scotty Bowman, who had been struck by Red's hockey ability when both men were connected with the Ottawa team five years earlier.

If I was asked to describe Gordon Arthur (Red) Berenson in one concise phrase, I'd opt for this "an intelligent, exceptionally mature professional."

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Phoenix - 4/22/1969

Red Berenson, who holds a masters degree in business administration, plays hockey in a business-like manner. Berenson scored 35 goals for St. Louis Blues an assisted on 47 others for 82 points to lead scorers in the NHL's Western Division.

"The years with Montreal and New York Rangers were not productive and could have been better spent," Berenson said. "I never got the chance in Montreal. I was part of their depth, their $1,000,000 bench.

A broken toe and a fractured cheekbone put Berenson on the sidelines just when he thought he could win a regular spot with the Rangers in 1966. "I was backup for Jean Ratelle. He was going great and I was going nowhere."

Berenson has attained the super-star status in St. Lous. But even the fact that he was presented with a new station wagon after scoring six goals in an 8-0 victory over Philadelphia Flyers last November hasn't changed his outlook.

"The thing I enjoy most is being part of the team situation here."

Trade to Detroit

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Originally Posted by The Montreal Gazette - 2/19/1971

For the past 3.5 years, the St. Louis Blues have had a love affair with their howling, devoted fans one that Red Berenson and Tim Ecclestone found hard to break off when traded to the Detroit Red Wings recently.

There were screams of rage, consternations and horror when the fans learned that their beloved Red Baron was going. They told anyone who would listen how they felt and they told Berenson and Ecclestone, too.

PA politics play a role?

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Originally Posted by The Pittsburgh Press - 3/24/1971

Acknowledged as the original super star of Expansion I, Berenson, in slightly more than three seasons in St. Louis, had become the toast of the town.

As president of the NHL Players Association, Berenson was drawn into a decision whether his group should renew its contract with Licensing Corporation of America for handling endorsements, or form a long-term partnership with an agency associated with the club owners. In mid-January at the All-Star break, the player representatives voted, 14-0, in favor of Licensing Corporation. Berenson believes that shortly thereafter, Bowman and the Salomons voted, 3-0, to get rid of him.

"I was very honest with them (the Salomons) about my situation." he said, "and they were dishonest with me. they assumed a lot of things. The Salomons built up a real case against me."

On Feb. 5, several hours before the Blues faced the Penguins in St. Louis, Berenson said he learned for the first time he would be traded. Attempting to clear the air, he met with Bowman for two hours in the afternoon.

"There aren't many good listeners around the league," Berenson said. "Scotty isn't a good listener. He already had made up his mind to trade me. He adds up a lot of little things. Pretty soon, he's got a blizzard and it hasn't even rained."

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Originally Posted by The Windsor Star - 12/28/1973

It was Red Berenson, however, who did the main job on Esposito, holding him to two shots. Under Delvecchio, Berenson is playing his best stick since arriving from St. Louis.

Checking the Bruins with Berenson draped on Esposito was Delvecchio's idea, but Alex said, "It isn't something you can do every game. You have to score goals in these times. Teams can't afford checking lines the way it used to be."

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Originally Posted by Sports Illustrated - 2/4/1974

Gordon (Red) Berenson, Detroit Red Wing center, on his team's troubles: "I've been with Detroit for 3 years. In that time we've had 11 goalies and four coaches. Once we acquire stability, I'm sure this club has potential."

Played Left Wing early in career and first season with the Blues

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Originally Posted by The Montreal Gazette - 3/31/1964

The likelihood is that either Bill Hicke or Red Berenson will take over Gilles Tremblay's spot on left wing with Bobby Rousseau on the right side...The versatile Hicke may also play right-wing with Berenson on the left left.

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Originally Posted by The Montreal Gazette - 6/11/1964

The Canadiens need a left-winger and they'd like to get Larry Jeffrey, who looked so good in the playoffs for the Wings. But the latter were said to be so badly off for left-wingers themeselves that they were thinking of shifting Bruce Magregor and Paul Henderson to the left side. If they deal with the Canadiens, Red Berenson is sure to be involved because he can play the position and has a following in the Detroit area from his undergraduate days at Michigan.

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Originally Posted by Saskatoon Star-Phoenix- 4/7/1964

He had Beliveau centering Red Berenson and rookie Jim Roberts.

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Originally Posted by The Montreal Gazette - 6/11/1964

Sid Abel, the Detroit GM and coach, and Canadiens' new general manager Sam Pollock came close to making a trade Tuesday with Red Wings' left-winger and centre-forward Red Berenson of the Habs as key materal. It fizzled out when neither party could come to an agreement on the rest of the trade.

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Originally Posted by Schenectady Gazette - 6/15/1966

The New York Rangers acquired left winger Red Berenson from the Montreal Canadiens in Tuesday...

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Originally Posted by Edmonton Journal - 10/13/1966

Others are Red Berenson, the left-winger drafted from Montreal Canadiens...Penalty killing will be important if the team continues the aggressiveness it displayed last season. Berenson and Kurtenbauch should help out in that department.